The Sand in My Cement
by Ku-chyan
Summary: ---Matt/Maxie-- Everybody loves Matt Hunter.


Lollollol. So don't take this seriously because, really, I was in a pretty ridiculous mood when I wrote this. Started off serious, but then I ended up cutting out the serious parts (I'm saving them for a serious Matt/Maxie story, which I do hope to eventually write) So this is sort of a joke, but it was lot of fun, which I thought was fitting because I think Matt and Maxie are a lot of fun to watch.

Post this awhile back on livejournal, never got around to posting here. Am I the only one who got all confused when changed it up?

If you spot any mistakes, please point them out.

**The Sand in My Cement  
**Matt Hunter/Maxie Jones

* * *

"You're-you're" Maxie was spluttering, shaking her head in flat-out disbelief. She had out of place hair in her face, and her little bowed dress was looking a little ruffled.

"Insufferable! Yes, that's you. And-and arrogant and so full of it! Ugh!"

Matt ducked his head to hide his smirk, but he watched her stalk away from below his bangs. _Yeah, she loves me._

--  
Okay, so maybe she doesn't love him, as evident by the thankfully lukewarm coffee she'd emptied into his lap. Not yet, at least. And maybe any other man would have been deterred by repeated dismissals and blatant insults – but not Matt Hunter. No, not him, because he caught the flashes of amusement in her eyes, and the little up-turn of her lips that she tried to hide. He wondered how long it had been since someone had called her out to play.

Patrick was all grins the second he saw the stain on Matt's scrubs. "So I've been wondering – when are you finally going to admit defeat to my cousin-in-law?"

"Never." Matt answered, honestly. He disregarded his brother's eye-roll. "Hey, she wants me and soon enough she's going to be the one to admit defeat."

"You are so full of it." Patrick said, and did Matt detect a hint of pride in his voice?

-----  
"She's playing hard to get."

"Right." Coleman said, and gave him another beer, this time with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, which was totally uncalled for. Matt Hunter did not need sympathy – Matt Hunter was an amazing _doctor_, for god's sake, and he was a man's man, and very good looking.

"She wants me." he said defensively.

"Sure thing." Coleman replied, and Matt scowled around his beer.

The coffee had, this time, not been lukewarm. It had, in fact, been boiling hot lava.

Matt limped gingerly, quietly mourning the state of his best-fitting pair of khakis. How could Maxie Jones deny the goodly power of his khaki clad thighs? She was turning out to be a real…challenge.

"At this rate, you're going to end up with third degree burns." Patrick said, and he and Coleman shared some stupid manly chuckles.

"Whatever." Matt said lowly, and slouched onto his bar stool.

He must have looked miserable, because Patrick stopped laughing and gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.

"Look man, if you're really serious about this, then I have to say, you're going about it the wrong way."

As if Matt Hunter needed dating advice from a married old geezer with a kid.  
"Oh yeah?" He asked disinterested, waving at Coleman for a beer.

"Yeah, I mean, you've seen Maxie, right?" Patrick asked like maybe, you know, Matt had been trying to get with her while his eyes were closed. "Don't you think she probably gets prepositions from guys who think they're top stuff all the time?"

_Doubt she's ever been hit on by anyone like me_, Matt thought a little smugly.  
"So she's probably already got you categorized with every other guy who's ever hit on her." Patrick continued, which was, admittedly, a good point. "You've got to prove that you're better than that."

Maxie was good looking, and spunky, and overall very attractive "Soo…" Matt prompted, now slightly more interested, and gestured impatiently.

"So-" Patrick took a swig of his beer, looking amused. "Just look at who she spends all her time with."

"Spinelli." Matt scowled. He still didn't get why she hung out with him so much, especially since she obviously wasn't interested in him like that.

Patrick nodded sagely "Exactly. And what's Spinelli like? Smart-"

"I'm smart." Matt snapped. "I'm a freaking doctor."

"Yeah I know." Patrick agreed. "But he's also sweet and kind and thoughtful…"

"I'm all those things." Matt argued. He scratched his cheek awkwardly under his brother's disbelieving stare. "Well I could be if I wanted to." He amended.

Patrick shrugged, "Then you have to prove it."

"I will." Matt mumbled, and thought _and I can do it without being weird and socially awkward._

-

The thing is, being sweet and kind and thoughtful did make him feel weird and socially awkward.

"You look very…pretty." He managed, after a momentary blank out. He had flowers, too, and Maxie was holding them about three feet from her body while she gave him an odd look. "You're hair is very…brushed."

"What's wrong with you?" she asked bluntly.

"Nothing's wrong with me." He said slowly, while thinking about how he should have unbuttoned his collar, because it was getting a little hot.

Maxie rolled her eyes. "Right." _If you'd stop being so stuck up, we could get this mockery over with and get to the fun part_, Matt thought, just a little bitterly. He bit his tongue though, and instead tried to smile pleasantly. He had a feeling it made him look queasy.

"Well…" Maxie shifted after a moment of expectant silence. "If that's all then…I should really get back to work."

When the elevator doors closed behind him, he smacked himself firmly on the forehead. _What the hell was that_, he thought harshly to himself.

-

"The worst advice I've ever gotten." Matt declared firmly but quietly as to not wake Emma, as he stormed past Robin to glare at Patrick.

Patrick sighed and closed his newspaper.

"Didn't work out, uh?"

"That's an understatement. It was humiliating."

Robin cleared away baby stuff from a chair and patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, "What happened?"

"I just gave him some advice-" Patrick started, and oh no, Matt wasn't letting him talk his way out of this one.

"Genius here – "he interrupted," thought your cousin might like me more if I acted like Spinelli."

The look Robin gave Patrick was a loud _well that was stupid_, and made Matt smile in satisfaction. "Why would you do that?"

Patrick put his hands up in surrender, "Look, I was just trying to help."

"Well you're going about it the wrong way." Robin said, in her know-it-all voice, and then turned to Matt. "If Maxie wanted a guy like Spinelli, don't you think she'd be dating Spinelli?"  
_Duh_, Matt thought, and glared at Patrick.

"You can't just act like someone else, either." Robin continued, this time looking at both of them with disapproval. "If you can't be yourself in a relationship, then you shouldn't be in that relationship."

That was such girl advice. But honestly? Maxie had looked even less impressed by his nice guy impression than ever before.

"Maybe I should just give up." Matt mused aloud, just as the thought crossed his mind, and was momentarily horrified. Matt Hunter did not give up. He did not waiver, he did not admit defeat to sassy blondes who were perpetually in denial. No, he thought vehemently, and said as much before either Robin or Patrick could speak. "No way. Maxie Jones wants me ,and she's going to admit it!"

"Matt…" Robin started uncertainly when he jumped to his feet.

"No, no I get it." He assured her, and waved a hand to cut off whatever his brother was going to say. "Maxie already wants me, so why should I act like someone else?"

_Should have come to Robin for advice in the first place_, he thought, now marginally more cheerful than he'd been all day, and rushed out the door.

-

"Maxie." Matt said seriously, as soon as she opened the door. She met his somber expression with a raised eyebrow – a blonde, high and mighty, I-am-so-above-you eyebrow.

"Matt." She said, like he was boring. "What do you want now? I'm a little busy filing my nails and I don't have time for whatever blah you're babbling about."

"I'm hot." Matt pointed out. "And you're hot. We're both hot, young, and interested. And there's a table at the MetroCourt waiting for us."

For a moment, Maxie looked surprised. Then her expression smoothed into something more cautious. "Well, what was that earlier, when you were acting all weird?"

"Took advice from someone who obviously didn't know what they were talking about." Matt shrugged. "Thought I might impress you."

Maxie ducked her head, but Matt saw her little smile. "Look, Matt, I already turned you down like a million times, and – "

"and if you turn me down a million more times, I'm still going to ask." Matt informed her. "Believe me, I'm persistent, so you might as well just say yes already."

In all the times they had bantered and flirted, Maxie had never seemed to even consider his advances. But now she looked at him with the same serious expression he was wearing, and she nodded. "Just this one time, so you'll shut up." She told him. "Pick me up at 8."

Matt stared at the door after it was slammed in his face and, slowly, a smirk blossomed across his face. _I knew it_, he crowed inwardly,_ she loves me_.

Which was expected, because, honestly, what girl didn't want Matt Hunter?


End file.
